Ask whether there are any restrictions on your regular exercise schedule or other physical activities. And, continue talking with the team throughout your treatment. Always tell your health care team when side effects first appear, worsen, or continue despite treatment. That will allow your health care team to provide ways to help you feel better during and after treatment. What physical side effects are likely based on my specific radiation therapy treatment plan? When will they likely begin?
Could this treatment affect my ability to become pregnant or have a child? If so, should I talk with a fertility specialist before cancer treatment begins? Will special precautions be needed to protect my family and others from radiation exposure during my treatment period?
This 1-page printable PDF gives an introduction to radiation therapy, including an overview of the different types of radiation, what to expect during treatment, possible side effects, terms to know, and questions to ask the health care team. Why does radiation therapy cause side effects? Are there options to prevent or treat these side effects?
What are common side effects of radiation therapy? Common physical side effects of radiation therapy include: Skin changes.
What are site-specific side effects of radiation therapy? Radiation therapy aimed at the chest may cause these side effects: Difficulty swallowing Shortness of breath Breast or nipple soreness Shoulder stiffness Cough, fever, and fullness of the chest, known as radiation pneumonitis. Radiation therapy aimed at the stomach or abdomen may cause these side effects: Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Bowel cramping Loose stool or diarrhea These symptoms will likely go away after treatment.
Radiation therapy aimed at the pelvis may cause these side effects: Loose stool or diarrhea Rectal bleeding Incontinence, which is when a person is not able to control his or her bladder Bladder irritation Sexual problems for men, such as erectile dysfunction, which is the inability to get or maintain an erection Lowered sperm counts and reduced sperm activity.
Changes in menstruation, such as having menstruation stop Symptoms of menopause , such as vaginal itching, burning, dryness, and other changes to sexual health for women If both ovaries receive radiation therapy, you may experience infertility. What is radiation recall? Questions to ask the health care team What physical side effects are likely based on my specific radiation therapy treatment plan?
How can these side effects be prevented or managed? How can I take care of the affected skin during my treatment period? Who should I tell when a side effect appears or gets worse? Are there specific side effects I should tell the doctor about right away? Who can I talk with if I'm feeling anxious or upset about having this treatment? If I'm having side effects that affect my nutrition, can you recommend an oncology dietitian?
What are other ways I can take care of myself during the treatment period? Are there any restrictions on exercising or other physical activity during this treatment? Radiation and Your Health. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Health Effects of Radiation. Minus Related Pages. We receive low doses of radiation from our natural environment every day.
According to Higley, the dose is the equivalent of about five CT scans. Americans are exposed to about 0. Potentially, exposure to any type of radiation can increase cancer risk, with higher exposure increasing the risk, Bouville said.
No increases in cancer rates were observed after the release of radioactive from a power plant on Three Mile Island, Pa. A person's risk of getting sick depends on how much radiation the body absorbs. Those exposed to high levels of radiation, about rem, millisievert could develop radiation sickness, Bouville said.
A chest X-ray is about 0. People are exposed to about 0. Radiation sickness is often fatal and can produce such symptoms as bleeding and shedding of the lining on the gastrointestinal tract, Zablotska said.
About people suffered from it as a result of the Chernobyl accident, Zablotska said. You literally get a particle, an energy packet, moving through your cells and tissues.
Cells that are damaged less severely may survive and replicate, but the structural changes in their DNA can disrupt normal cell processes — like the mechanisms that control how and when cells divide. With ingested particles, some may pass through the body before they do much damage, but others linger, Dedon says.
Radioactive iodine poses a particularly significant risk, because it is absorbed rapidly by the thyroid gland and held there. That is why it is recommended that those who may be exposed to radioactivity in the air pre-dose themselves with iodine pills: the non-radioactive iodine is absorbed by the thyroid, which then does not absorb radioactive iodine if it comes along. Radiation exposure risk is measured in units called sieverts, which take into account the type and amount of radiation, and which parts of the body are exposed, allowing us to compare different kinds of exposures in one scale.
In a typical year, a person might receive a total dose of two or three millisieverts from things like ambient radioactivity, plane flights and medical procedures.
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